Do turkey buzzards kill as well as scavange?

Our German shepherd was just raising a fit so I went to see what he was upset with. It was a turkey buzzard in one of the trees out back. So I praised him, told him was okay, blah, blah and then all the sudden realized there were around 15 turkey vultures in the trees around the chicken yard! The recent snow and ice had damaged the netting across the top so we pulled it down day before yesterday so the gals wouldn't get tangled up. I went out back and yelled/clapped my hands and most of the birds flew off immediately, but a few of the ones nearest the coop I almost had to throw something at to get them to fly off. I've put the gals up but am curious - so these birds also kill live prey??

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them. Thomas Jefferson

According to the information on this site, they do not pose a risk to live animals. Of course in my mind, any animal hungry enough could deviate from the norm. IMO though, I wouldn't worry about turkey vultures... http://vulturesociety.homestead.com/QandA.html It also has a section on getting rid of them (although I didn't read that part...).

Caretaker of a lovely mixed flock including: australorp, plymouth rocks, wyandotte, d'uccles, silkies, EEs, andalusian, and a few seramas, plus a golden retriever, great dane, and three cats. I always swore that I wouldn't succumb to chicken math. I lied.

Caretaker of a lovely mixed flock including: australorp, plymouth rocks, wyandotte, d'uccles, silkies, EEs, andalusian, and a few seramas, plus a golden retriever, great dane, and three cats. I always swore that I wouldn't succumb to chicken math. I lied.

I walked out my door the other day and I live in the city and about 20 ft from my door there was 2 of them about 2ft tall trying to get a full grown cat and it was not injured. The only reason they flew away is because I opened the door.

I can't definitively say whether they will kill chickens or not, but I can present you my experience with them, and you can draw your own conclusions. Early this winter, I had two of them land on an oak tree that sits right beside my silkie pen. I don't have any cover over the pen, and both buzzards were looking down, maybe 30 feet above my silkies, just watching them go about their business. After a while, I moved toward the pen and one of them flew away, but the other one stayed, unaffected by my presence. I decided to step back a ways and wait it out to see for myself what his intentions were. After about 10 minutes, he dropped down, out of the tree, and landed into the pen. That set off a panic, and the silkies scurried quickly into the coop. The buzzard was left just sitting there, by himself in the pen, acting like he belonged there. I went quickly out to the pen and "made him leave".

Now, he actually didn't actually attack my chickens, but I'm sure he didn't drop in just to exchange phone numbers with them. I guess I'll never know what may or may not have happened out there if I weren't present, but I have since covered the pen and I haven't seen them back since.

This year we have also had an issue with them. Around 40 yearlings have decided that our poultry yard & surrounding fence is a good place to come to in the mornings & perch while drying their wings in the sun. Obviously, the first morning it occured, my wife was freaked & called me at work.... as we have a very senior horse (35yo) and various goats/sheep & so on - we were concerned at first. We even found them inside a couple of the pens (once with muscovies - once with the dama wallabie & sulcatta tortoises) but they only perched around. It has been about 2 months now that they arrive every morning & stay until around 10 am. On days with severe weather they have perched in the nearby trees.... but we have not lost one animal to them.... they actually play & "talk" with the black muscovie ducks... it is funny.... So i would say you do not have anything to worry about. I am not sure why this flock of yearlings decided to make us home base, but they are neat to watch... once you get over the thought that they are waiting for you to die!!

According to the information on this site, they do not pose a risk to live animals. Of course in my mind, any animal hungry enough could deviate from the norm. IMO though, I wouldn't worry about turkey vultures... http://vulturesociety.homestead.com/QandA.html It also has a section on getting rid of them (although I didn't read that part...).

I completely agree. I wouldnt worry about them unless you notice them acting strange.

Amy ~ Mama to 2 children, married to the love of my life. 10 Chickies

I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is. by Albert CamusMy Etsy!Facebook